Servel Report: Women Lead Electoral Participation Since 1989 but Fall Short of Political Parity

Original article: Informe Servel: Mujeres lideran participación electoral desde 1989 pero siguen lejos de la paridad en el poder político

As part of the International Women’s Day commemoration, Servel released its report «Participation and Representation of Women in Politics: A View from the Electoral Service of Chile,» revealing that women make up the majority of the electoral roll in Chile and historically maintain higher voting rates than men.

According to the study, 8,083,768 women were registered in the 2025 electoral roll, accounting for 51.2% of all eligible voters.

«The number has nearly doubled since 1989 when (with voluntary registration) there were 3.9 million registered women. The most significant increase occurred with the implementation of automatic registration in 2012, which raised the female voter base from 4.3 million in 2009 to over 6.8 million in 2012,» the Servel report details.

The data also shows that throughout all electoral processes between 1989 and 2024, women have voted at higher rates proportionately than men, considering their respective voter rolls. For instance, in the 2022 constitutional plebiscite, where voting was mandatory, female participation reached 87.4%, while male participation was 84.2%.

Historically, the highest female participation was recorded in 1989, with 95.8% of the roll (under voluntary registration and mandatory voting), while the lowest point was during the municipal elections of 2016, at 37.2%, during the period of automatic registration and voluntary voting.

Decline in Political Party Affiliation

Another issue addressed by Servel pertains to political party affiliation. According to the report, despite their higher electoral participation and presence on the rolls, women’s involvement in political parties is on the decline.

«While in 2017 women accounted for 50.6% of party affiliates, by January 2026, that proportion dropped to 46.6%, falling below male participation,» the study points out.

Regionally, women comprise between 41% and 49% of party affiliations across all regions of the country, with Los Lagos (43.5%) and Los Ríos (44.3%) having the lowest proportions of female members.

«Moreover, women’s presence in party leadership remains limited, and as of February 2026, only 5 out of 21 parties were led by women,» adds the Servel report.

Thus, between 2016 and 2026, the proportion of women who held party presidencies fluctuated between 15% and 28.6%. The highest level occurred in 2022, when 8 out of 28 parties were headed by women.

Female Candidacies Increase but Still Remain a Minority

The report also highlights progress in the number of female candidates, particularly following the implementation of the Gender Quotas Law (Law 20,840), which stipulates that no gender can exceed 60% of a party’s candidates.

«Prior to this regulation, less than 20% of parliamentary candidates were women. Since 2017, however, their candidacies have exceeded 40% of the total. In the Chamber of Deputies, for example, female candidates grew from 7.9% in 1989 to over 44% in 2025,» stated the electoral entity.

Nevertheless, despite the increase in candidacies, female representation remains lower than that of men. For instance, by 2025, women occupied 33.5% of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 43.5% of the contested Senate seats.

«Historically, women’s presence in Congress increased from 5.7% in 1989 to 34.8% in 2025, showing sustained growth. However, the largest disparities persist in territorial executive positions. In the latest elections (2024), only 16.5% of mayoralties were won by women, and no woman was elected as a regional governor,» reported Servel.

Check the full report HERE

El Ciudadano